Once more into the breach: PBS Great Performances this fall offers a sumptuous four-part miniseries, lining up four Shakespeare history plays chronologically — Richard II, Henry IV, Parts I & II, and Henry V.

Fathers and sons, the price of power, the costs of war and some amazing speeches…. Listening to the soft-spoken Hiddleston (“Thor,” “The Avengers”) reminisce about the filming, ruminate on the writing, and lovingly recite some of the great monologues, the PBS panel was a tour of the history plays on par with a college Shakespeare course. (That’s how you know the commercial nets have departed TCA and PBS is in the house.)

Hiddleston recounted his preparation for a certain scene in Henry IV. After a run in the snow outside Gloucester before the morning shoot, Hiddleston, who plays Prince Hal, said, “it occurred to me, Jeremy Irons (who plays his father, King Henry) should hit me as hard as he possibly can across the face. It really hurt, he was wearing two regal rings. But it looks great.”

Hiddleston said his “brilliant, brilliant role” represents “an extraordinary arc of self-discovery and maturity…something every young man goes through which is to test his limits…and test the authority of his father.” From goof-off drunk to great warrior king, it’s quite the journey.

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.